*Airplanes, an earnest indie-rock group who sent us an EP, Silver Lining, a few months ago. The band's sound immediately stood out as having a lot of promise: The production was slick and accessible without being cloying, and vocalist Sarah's singing was reminiscent of Rilo Kiley-era Jenny Lewis or Mandy Moore. (Not a dis, but a compliment: Moore's started to earn some pop-rock credibility in recent years, ever since she started making music that fits her voice.)

*Leslie Sanazaro: She's one of the more underrated performers around town, and her music has been described as a "Venn diagram where indie rock, downtempo folk and light jazz intersect. Her voice is strong but reserved; luckily, she relies on lyrics and the Brill Building basics of song craft to make her points, and refrains from piano-pounding histrionics or octave-jumping oversinging." 'Nuff said.

*Summer Osborne. A Vandalia, Illinois, native, Osborne specializes in folk songs, often with a message, but also often with a sense of humor: She recasts Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" as "Lesbian Woman." Her voice is interesting, though -- it's huskier than you might expect, like a rougher Jann Arden or a farm-raised Amy Ray. She's having her CD release show on Saturday night at the Old Rock House, for her fifth CD, Revelation.